I like this time at night on HBT

[Stauffbier]

Stauffbier - what is your line of work that lets you nose around in other people's basements? Are you digging the Panama canal down there?

It was actually lschiavo that made the basement comment, but.....

I have actually found some cool stuff in basements. I'm a home remodeler, and sometimes I get to work in homes/buildings that are vacant. Typically in a situation like that whatever I find is fair game. Mostly I just find cool old beer bottles and cans, though.

 

[lschiavo]

I'd love to get a hold of a pickling crock, but a few hundred bucks for something that really just needs a food-grade container and a towel to ferment a few bucks of cabbage and pickles, well, I'm not seeing it. I should start hitting the flea markets to see what I can find, but I don't need that much junk and don't know if it would be worth the effort. If one fell into my hands, that would be another story.

Reminds me of a story when SWMBO and I moved into our current home. My mother-in-law gave us a very nice folding plant stand. We set it up and wished that we had a larger one to accompany it across the room. After a day of unpacking, we went for a walk in town and, to our surprise, there was a larger version of this very stand (perfect match, same company, color, everything, completely intact) just leaning against a dumpster behind an apartment complex. I never felt elated and spooked at the same time before, but I did then.

It was a Festivus miracle I tell you!

That is what I am looking for. I will not buy one. I could have had a half dozen of them from my grandparents house back when I didn't know the value or even what to do with them. A certain father in-law of mine is hoarding several and does nothing with them. I may have to trade him for some homemade kraut.

Ha! Festivus...

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

It's strange, but I am more old-fashioned (about food and brewing, anyway) than my parents and grandparents. My mother thinks I'm something of a herbalist/witch-doctor as I am pretty in tune with the wild plants in the area and their uses. She worries that I am going to give myself food poisoning with my beer and wine brewing and (now) my pickling.

I think I am more in tune with history. This stuff isn't magic, it was how people (safely) fed themselves through the winters before big agri-business started weaning folks off their garden plots and making them eat out of boxes found in supermarkets.

 

[lschiavo]

It's strange, but I am more old-fashioned (about food and brewing, anyway) than my parents and grandparents. My mother thinks I'm something of a herbalist/witch-doctor as I am pretty in tune with the wild plants in the area and their uses. She worries that I am going to give myself food poisoning with my beer and wine brewing and (now) my pickling.

I think I am more in tune with history. This stuff isn't magic, it was how people (safely) fed themselves through the winters before big agri-business started weaning folks off their garden plots and making them eat out of boxes found in supermarkets.

Wise words my friend. It is hard to believe we are so far removed from american life only two or three generations ago. Tragic really.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I'm lucky in a sense. My father grew up during the Depression - kinda unusual for someone my age to have a father that old. He was a window to a much simpler time, and I am thankful that I had him as long as I did.

I feel mentally older than many guys my age. Maybe not "older", but "wiser"? I really can't stand hanging around the "young kids" (guys my age with dads in their late 50s). They're playing with their iPads and their brains are bouncing all over the place, Short Attention Span Theater. It's irritating and exhausting to be around them. I feel like Master Po from Kung Fu sometimes when I am around these guys.

The folks I connect with, my friends, are all 10-30 years older than I am. That doesn't bode well for me and the SWMBO, as we have no children and all of our friends are older than we are. It means that we're faced with a very lonely old age.

 

[Dan]

Don't dwell on this Age of friends doesn't really matter. When I was around 27 I worked with a guy in his sixties and we became pretty good friends. We grew up in different eras but we were adults with common interest. Life and friends should not be graded on a time schedule. I'm not even sure I'm making sense now. I'm just saying. Friends come at all stages in life. Some younger than us and some older. What matters the most is the friendship

 

[passedpawn]

Another Christmas season baby here, I just rolled to 40 on Dec. 20th.

Happy (belated) Birthday TC!

 

[ChefRex]

Happy birthday TC and thanks for the inspiration, a bucket of kraut is born!
Didn't look like it would all fit but I beat it into submission. LOL

 

[Stauffbier]

Happy birthday TC and thanks for the inspiration, a bucket of kraut is born!
Didn't look like it would all fit but I beat it into submission. LOL

Okay... That's it!

I'm adding cabbage and sea salt to my grocery list for today!

 

[ChefRex]

I added some sweet onion, carrots, radish and caraway seed just because. Now to relearn my beer patience although I don't think it's as critical.

 

[Stauffbier]

I added some sweet onion, carrots, radish and caraway seed just because. Now to relearn my beer patience although I don't think it's as critical.

So, how long does this stuff take to ferment and become ready to eat?

I just need to figure out how to go about muddling it. I see you have a nice gadget to do yours from the photo. I'm not sure what I might have that would work, but I'll figure out something.

 

[ChefRex]

So, how long does this stuff take to ferment and become ready to eat?

I just need to figure out how to go about muddling it. I see you have a nice gadget to do yours from the photo. I'm not sure what I might have that would work, but I'll figure out something.

First time for me. The recipe I semi followed says 1 to 4 weeks and eat it along the way and see how it develops.
I used a stainless meat tenderizer that I've had for more years than I'd like to admit.
http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I'm trying to learn basic and organic chemistry for the brew chem class, thinking of making a cheese press, making IPA pickles, reading about artisan bread, learning what a Raspberry PI is and how to program one, waiting for a deer to die on my doorstep to smoke him.... Every time I read this thread I find a new, must do, hobby. Now, I have to ferment Sourkraut. Looks like I'll have to chop the cabbage so I'll need to make a nice knife....AHHHHH!!! there is not time. Oh, and I need to brew. I hate this place.

 

[Yooper]

Anybody happen to know where the AHA conference will be this year? I am bouncing around on business travel and am wondering if I'll be within shouting difference of it. I wished I went to Philly last year.

Grand Rapids, MI. I'll be there.

Happy birthday! Not far behind me in years. I have never done kraut yet but usually do a spring batch of kimchi. I just eat kraut straight from the can. I get to nose around in old basements sometimes in my line of work and am looking to score an old crock. That sounds kinda dirty

LOL at "scoring an old crock".

Happy birthday to you.

Bob was just talking about your kimchi last night. I might try to make some in Texas, and it would be ready to eat by the time we leave, I guess!

 

[SharonaZamboni]

So, how long does this stuff take to ferment and become ready to eat? I just need to figure out how to go about muddling it. I see you have a nice gadget to do yours from the photo. I'm not sure what I might have that would work, but I'll figure out something.

I kept mine in my bedroom, where the dog couldn't reach, so temps were 68-70F. It took at least three or four weeks to get krauty. Here's what it looked like after a day or two. There really wasn't much to see as it fermented, just a few fine bubbles making their way to the top.

 

[bob1852]

Grand Rapids, MI. I'll be there.

Me too, if I win the AHA/NHC lottery.




Fiancé got me a salt water fish tank for Christmas. I got to use my hydrometer and pH meter for something other than brewing! A new hobby where I don't need any new equipment!!

 

[Stauffbier]

If you don't make a mess you didn't do it right!

 

[Stauffbier]

I kept mine in my bedroom, where the dog couldn't reach, so temps were 68-70F. It took at least three or four weeks to get krauty. Here's what it looked like after a day or two. There really wasn't much to see as it fermented, just a few fine bubbles making their way to the top.

View attachment 170362

My house doesn't get much warmer than about 65 this time of year, so I'll give it a few weeks. I'm definitely going to start a second bucket going next week. Today I did two heads of cabbage that came out to about 3.75 lbs. After pressing it down I realized that I can fit probably 2 or 3 times as much in my bucket.

 

[ChefRex]

My house doesn't get much warmer than about 65 this time of year, so I'll give it a few weeks. I'm definitely going to start a second bucket going next week. Today I did two heads of cabbage that came out to about 3.75 lbs. After pressing it down I realized that I can fit probably 2 or 3 times as much in my bucket.

I did around 6 lbs and was a little less than 1/2 full on a 2 gallon bucket, is it time to give it a taste yet?

 

[Yooper]

Me too, if I win the AHA/NHC lottery.




Fiancé got me a salt water fish tank for Christmas. I got to use my hydrometer and pH meter for something other than brewing! A new hobby where I don't need any new equipment!!

They will have more tickets this year than last, so hopefully nearly everybody who wants a ticket can get one.

By the way, AHA members- the election for the Governing Committee is coming up in February. All AHA members can vote- so please do!!!! (And, vote for me, please! )

 

[brewingmeister]

 

[beaksnbeer]

View attachment 170386

Da Bears doing what they do best WATCHING the post season.

GO PACK GO

 

[brewingmeister]

Puke

 

[ruralbrew]

Hey, late nighters, I'll leave the football stuff alone for now, except to say my son was at the game today. Have to be crazy to sit out in this weather, but I guess it must have been worth it.

I have been away for quite a while but try to keep up on the thread, I think of posting every now and again but then my natural tendency to procrastinate kicks in.

Not much happening in my little corner of the world, except to make sure the furnace keeps running. The wife and I spent the Holidays in southern Alabama visiting friends, went there for a vacation and ended up making an offer on a house! Needless to say we liked it down there. I flew back on New Years Eve but the wife is staying. Until it either warms up or the people we stayed with kick her out. I'm thinking it will be until it warms up.

So in her absence I am planning on getting my electric brewery put together in the basement. Of course there is that aforementioned procrastination thing to deal with, but that is the plan.

I'm glad this thread has kept going, 1249 pages now. Who woulda thunk it?

 

[Dan]

Hey Ruralbrew, Good to have you back! Best of luck on your offer and please post pics of your electric build.

 

[Melana]

That is what I am looking for. I will not buy one. I could have had a half dozen of them from my grandparents house back when I didn't know the value or even what to do with them. A certain father in-law of mine is hoarding several and does nothing with them. I may have to trade him for some homemade kraut.

Ha! Festivus...

Can you ask to borrow one?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Wow, looks like I started a sauerkraut frenzy. Tossing out an idea in this forum is like throwing a match on gasoline sometimes.

 

[ChefRex]

Wow, looks like I started a sauerkraut frenzy. Tossing out an idea in this forum is like throwing a match on gasoline sometimes.

Believe me I was already tinder!

 

[LabRatBrewer]

They will have more tickets this year than last, so hopefully nearly everybody who wants a ticket can get one.

By the way, AHA members- the election for the Governing Committee is coming up in February. All AHA members can vote- so please do!!!! (And, vote for me, please! )

Yooper, I know I'll recognize it when I see it, but "for everyone else" what is your name for the vote? If I can actually vote for Yooper, I'll stuff the ballot.

(I think "Stuff the Ballot" is playing with "Scoring an Old Crock" this weekend).

 

[Stauffbier]

Wow, looks like I started a sauerkraut frenzy. Tossing out an idea in this forum is like throwing a match on gasoline sometimes.

Believe me I was already tinder!

HA! Yeah, I was toying with the idea for quite a long time now. I guess it just took seeing other people doing it too finally push me over the edge..